Second Thoughts
by kelmeister
Summary: One-shot post-Always Season 5 speculation. Beckett's heading back to work, and Castle's tagging along like always. Complete.


DISCLAIMER: Everything here is mine, except everyone in it.

xxxxxx

This is why a relationship was a bad idea.

It was bad enough, Rick in his chair, a glow about him, having recently had sex with someone who wasn't her. At least he had the sense to act contrite about it when confronted.

But there he is, in his chair, a glow about him, having recently had sex with someone who was her. And he isn't contrite at all when confronted. Oh, no. He is having the time of his life.

She is trying to ignore him. But she is stuck between the rock of his smug mugging to everyone who walks by, and the hard place of her desk and the large pile of "Prove yourself worthy to be back in my good graces" paperwork that has become her Hell. She tries willing her way to the end of the file in front of her, envisioning an unnecessary trip to the file room, just so she might have something to do besides ignoring the mouse-eating grin stretching wide across his Cheshire face. No. The direct approach will have to do.

"Will you stop it?" There. That was easy.

"Stop what, Detective?" Oh, smooth. His voice is like butter left out on the counter for too long. He knows. _He knows._

"Stop staring at me." She angrily scratches out a mistake on the evidence report in front of her.

"I'm not staring." Oh, but he is. Only now, his stare comes with a raised eyebrow and a smirk. Oh, to slap that smirk off his face.

She quickly turns toward him, dives—no, pounces—at him, close enough so that the whip of her hair stings his face. He jumps, frowns, touches his cheek where he's wounded.

"Castle—" She takes deep breath. Must not say something too mean. Must not hurt his feelings. After all, they're sleeping together now.

They're sleeping together now.

She feels herself soften. Her shoulders sag, all traces of her anger gone.

xxxxxx

Instead, a memory: That very morning, rushing around her bedroom, pulling on slacks, buttoning a blouse, so flustered, dangerously late, pushing it, knowing Gates will be standing there at her office door in judgment, arms crossed and glaring, daring Kate to screw up on her first day back, and after every—

And there are his hands, gently—reverently—sliding the last couple of buttons home. His fingers feather against her scar. She sighs.

"Castle," she whispers. "I'm going to be late."

The corner of his mouth crinkles with a smile. "You'll be fine." He slides his hand softly down the front of her blouse, smoothing the wrinkles. It's like he's petting her. "I packed an extra apple in your lunch to put on your teacher's desk."

"Castle." She shakes her head, chuckles. Next thing she knows, his large warm hands are on either side of her face, pulling her in for a light kiss. He knows better than to start something now. He knows.

He pulls away, brushes a thick curl away from her temple. "I'm going to run home and change, but I'll be by with coffee."

She shyly smiles. What the hell is she doing? She never shyly smiles, but this is what he does to her. "You always bring me coffee."

He throws his hands up and huffs. "Alright, fine. Bear claw, too."

Her smile now is no longer shy. Her smile is now all the world and her heart and everything and—

"Castle, I—"

He dances behind her and with his hands on her shoulders gently pushes her toward the living room, slowing only to pick up keys and jackets. He swoops in front of her to open the front door, gallantly waving her through.

"You hurry along now," he says, as they stare longingly at each other from either side of the stoop in front of her building. "And Beckett," he grins, "I love you, too."

xxxxxx

Against Kate's better judgment—don't want to encourage him, after all—she reaches out and wraps her fingers around the hand on his cheek, pulling it toward her. Her other hand lightly brushes the spot he was nursing.

"I'm sorry," she whispers. "I just—" She shakes her head. "Any other time, Castle. Any other place. But I'm on thin ice here. One wrong step and I'm out on the street again."

"I'm being too obvious." He squeezes her hand.

Kate nods. "I want you here. I _need _you here. You're my partner." Her voice lowers and she drops her hands. "Everything else needs to stay outside."

Rick nods in return. "Understood. I'm sorry, too." His whisper is harsh and desperate. "It's just that I want to shout from the rooftops that I've seen you naked!"

"Castle!" She playfully slaps his arm, then whips around in her chair, checking over her shoulder that Gates is still ensconced in the principal's office and still blissfully unaware. Kate turns back around. "Another time. Another place."

"Understood." He stands, pauses, looks down at her, and somehow his fingers find the curl at her temple and sweep it back once more. "I'm going to head out, let you get some work done."

"I don't want to chase you away."

He laughs. "No way in Hell of that happening."

"What are you going to do?"

"Oh, I don't know." He waves one hand in the air while the other fishes around in a coat pocket. "I might go to the bookstore, maybe catch a movie." He gasps. "I could see what Mother is up to." Kate shakes her head and smiles. "Until later, Detective?"

"I'll call you when I finish up here."

"We'll get dinner?"

"I'd like that."

Rick smiles. With an, "Ah-hah," he sets his hand on Kate's desk and bends close to Kate's ear. "To tide you over until later, Detective." He stands, gives Kate the smuggest smirk she thinks he's ever given her, and heads for the elevator.

She glances down at the desk top to see he's left her a single Hershey's Kiss. "Discretion is the better part of valor," she thinks, as she catches sight of him in the elevator. Meeting her gaze, he grins and throws up a jaunty wave. The doors close, hiding him from view.

Kate slowly unwraps the candy and pops it into her mouth.

This is why a relationship was a good idea.


End file.
